Hi, I was hoping to get a bit of advice from others. I’m currently a high school freshman, so I have to start picking classes for sophomore year soon. My current classes are English 9 Honors, Biology Honors, Algebra 2 Honors, AP Human Geography, Spanish 3, and Psychology. I have been maintaining an A in all of these classes. Next year, I plan to take English 10 Honors, Chemistry Honors, AP Precalculus BC, AP World, Spanish 4 Honors, and AP Psychology. I’m not worried about my honor classes, but I am worried about the AP classes I plan to take. Since AP Human Geography is an easier AP class, I’m scared making a big jump to three AP classes could be too much. Has anyone gone through this too? If so, I would really appreciate your input. Additionally, if you have any helpful and honest opinions on this, please share them. Thank you.
If these are the next steps, I don’t see it as too much.
It’s progression - right. You are taking pre calc at least a year early but that’s because you’re advanced a year in math beyond the typical strongest student.
You could drop down to a regular social science. My daughter found AP Psych to be pretty easy.
I don’t think the term AP needs to equate high rigor but that’s a second social science so take something else of interest if you’d rather.
Your rigor will be up there because that’s the progression you are on. But you can take a step off the gas on non required courses and still be ok.
What type of college are you seeking ? That can also help direct you.
Good luck.
My first suggestion would be to work with your current teachers and guidance counselor to formulate a schedule that will be challenging but not overwhelming.
Have you taken US and World History? Geometry? Be sure to take all classes required for HS graduation (some schools require an arts class, health, etc.).
Thank you so much. I forget I can drop classes if they don’t work for me, haha. I’m aiming for the University of Virginia or William & Mary if that’s useful.
Thank you for your suggestions. I have been able to work with majority of my teachers and they’ve been supportive of my choices. I’ll make sure to contact my counselor to get the full view and ensure I’m receiving the credits needed. Once again, thank you!
I would ask about US History, World History, and Geometry (if not taken already) – at least in our HS those are required for graduation.
I assume you took geometry in 8th grade - correct ?
You don’t need to go bonkers for W&M and UVA and you have fantastic fallbacks if they don’t happen in JMU for UVA and CNU for W&M.
Of course follow the guidance from school but seems to me you are ahead of the curve.
Good luck.
I was able to take Geometry in 8th grade, so thankfully that’s out of the way. I’ll make sure to ask more on history though. Thank you!
I did take Geometry in 8th grade 
Thank you for your feedback, I’ll keep it in mind when I make my course selections!
| Subject | 9th | 10th | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | 9 honors | 10 honors | Normal following course |
| Science | Biology honors | Chemistry honors | Normal following course |
| Math | Algebra 2 honors | AP precalculus | Normal following course |
| Social studies | Psychology | AP psychology | Should not be hard since you already had high school psychology |
| Social studies | AP human geography | AP world history | Probably a significant increase in reading |
| Foreign language | Spanish 3 | Spanish 4 honors | Normal following course, but moving up to honors level |
High school courses obviously do go to more advanced material, but that is normal high school progression, so your selection seems to be mostly normal progression. Remember that AP precalculus is a new exam from the College Board; previously, high schools just called that course precalculus honors. Also note that AP psychology covers material similar to a one semester introductory psychology course in college that is usually not that hard a course.
Off hand that strikes me as a normal progression for someone interested in flagship-level public universities like UVA/W&M. The general goal in such cases is usually to keep reasonably challenging yourself in all five core areas each year. Reasonable challenges will typically require you to build on prior knowledge, skill development, study habits, time management, and so on each year, but not in a way that overwhelms you. Without knowing you, your plan seems to me consistent with that general approach.
But since I don’t know you, I agree that you would want your current teachers to be supportive of your planned next steps, and your counselor to approve your overall four-year plan. It sounds like they are all on board, though, so good!
Finally, I assume you plan to take US History at some point, but it is fine to take that a future year.
That looks like a fine schedule : it covers all core areas, rigor is there, and it’s not too much.
The only class you may switch out is AP Psychology, for a Performing or Visual Arts or creative class maybe (some colleges may appreciate or require one) - but keeping AP Psychology is fine too. 
IMO unless you’re planning to major in psychology, two psych classes in high school actually seems to not do much for an assessment of rigor. When do you plan to satisfy a fine arts credit or PE? If in the summer, that’s great but is there something interesting and more meaningful than piling AP Psych on top of psych? Don’t chase APs for the sake of APs, especially if you are nervous about the workload.
FWIW AP Psych is not considered a particularly rigorous course.
I do plan to major in psychology. In my school district, we need a fine art or CTE credit, so I plan to take a CTE medical courses in eleventh and twelfth grade. I took PE and plan to take it next year too, I just didn’t mention it because it’s not a learning class. Thank you for your input, and I’ll try to select more meaningful electives in the future. Thank you!
I worked with my counselor and she was supportive US History is an eleventh grade course within my school, so I’ll take it when the time comes. Thank you for your help!
Thank you for this table! I’ll consider it when selecting my courses!
Note that most colleges will consider creative arts courses as more important than CTE courses (“medical terminology” for instance is better for students who want a terminal associate degree at a community college) unless they lead to CNA certification AND you intend to work part time as a CNA.
I see. I’ll take an art course when I finish taking PE and an elective spot opens. Thank you!
For example, while Arizona publics list a one year art or CTE requirement for frosh admission, California and South Dakota publics list a one year art (not CTE) requirement for frosh admission.